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Description:
This information is printed on the back of photograph: "Taken from the North Oak and N. E. 3rd. Street looking North May 28, 1975 by A.F. Weaver." Businesses that are visible in the photograph are, in order: The Crazy Water Hotel, Community Aerial Cable Company, Bennett's Office Supply and The Grand Theater.

Description:
First page of the minutes of the Mineral Wells Bicentennial Committee, held in the old Nazareth Hospital in 1975. It includes a list of attendees and a summary of some of the discussion points.

Description:
Palo Pinto General Hospital opened in 1970 and is located west of Mineral Wells. It has been, since this picture was taken, enlarged and remodeled extensively. This hospital replaced the downtown Nazareth Hospital. While the hospital was been built, the first two floors of the Crazy Water Hotel was used as a hospital. This picture is featured in "Time Once Was in Mineral Wells" on page 168.

Description:
A holograph legend on the back of this picture states: "Tearing down Convention Hall 1976." The photograph illustrates the demolition of the building in full swing. Only the skeleton of the roof remains, and the walls are in ruins. This picture appears in Weaver's "TIME WAS in Mineral Wells" on page 186.

Description:
This is a picture of a monument that is to be found in the Elmwood Cemetery. Two Confederate soldiers with rifles (who presumably never went to war) stand at the top of a scrolled pediment that bears the number "32" amidst foliage. Beneath it are crossed sabres. At the very bottom. under the name "Smith", is the motto: "Charity and Humanity Our Religion" in raised letters. This monument may be the grave of the Cicero Smith family. He was the President of Lake View Scenic Railway, also known as the Dinkey Cars.

Description:
A view of part of Possum Kingdom Lake from Observation Point, taken August 11, 1974. Although it is not readily visible, the Morris Sheppard Dam, which impounds the Brazos River to form Possum Kingdom Lake, is on the far right edge of the picture. The view is from a vantage point approximately 150 feet above the water, which in its turn is approximately 190 feet deep at this point.

Description:
This photograph shows the Austin Well as it was in 1974. A legend on the back of photograph reads: "Looking south shows remains of Austin Well in the foreground with the remains of what used to be the crystal plant. Across the street may be seen the St Regis box plant." The former Crazy Water Crystal plant, at the left edge of the picture, is now [2009] the St. Regis box factory This well is associated with a unique and romantic history: A cowboy rode a blind mare into Mineral Wells and auctioned her off for a dollar and a half. Mr. Austin acquired the horse, and put her to work drawing water from the well by turning a wheel to which was attached a rope, which with each revolution of the wheel, pulled a bucket of water from the well to ground level. Nellie was trained to pause at a point in her circular route long enough for the bucket to be emptied, then continue on to pull up the next bucket when it was filled. Blind Nellie was retired in her old age, but continued to walk a similar circular route in the pasture to which she was retired, pausing in each revolution, as before, until her death. Texas Packaging Company, Incorporated, has occupied the box plant since 1980.

Description:
Shown here is a picture of the Mineral Wells Police force and the City/County Ambulance Service, taken in 1974. From left to right are: Bennie Hutcheson, R.A. Hodges, Jim Elmore, Jimmy Davis, Walter Graves, Orville West, Montiford Parker, Henry Childress, Don Farriel, Larry Brandenburg, Bill Meaders, Raymond Jones, Mike Poe, Ricky Shank, Fred Foreman (Police Chief), Gene Knerr, Gilbert Sommerfield (Investigator), David Jared, and Ronnie Edwards. The information was taken from the back of photograph, which itself was taken at the West City Park. It is published on page 153 of A.F.Weaver's book, "TIME WAS In Mineral Wells."

Description:
Texas State Senator Tom Creighton delivers the keynote address at the dedication of a memorial marker to W.P. (Bill) Cameron at the "Little Rock Schoolhouse" Museum. Mr. Cameron was the Editor of the Mineral Wells Index newspaper, and an active and popular participant in local civic and social events. After his death, his family placed a marker in his honor at the museum. Members of Mr. Cameron's family are seated to the speaker's left, and the Junior High Ensemble, Director Vicki Carden, are on the museum steps behind and to the speaker's right, Please contact the collection webmaster if you recognize other persons in the picture. The marker has been removed, and its location is not known at this time.[see previous photographs for more details.] Very dimly visible in an enlarged photo, inside the open door of the museum, is an original five-pointed wooden star that decorated a gable of the historic Hexagon House Hotel.

Description:
A marker commemorating the conversion of Mineral Wells' first school to a museum. "The Little Rock Schoolhouse" was built in 1884, and though tuition was charged to the students to pay the teacher, the school building, itself, was built by the city. A granite marker to commemorate the conversion of the school to a museum was unveiled at this dedication.

Description:
Here is a view of the Damron Hotel (formerly located at 109 W. Hubbard Street)during the early stages of the fire (on December 22, 1975) that completely destroyed it. It was a popular hotel during the heyday of Mineral Wells--through the "Roaring Twenties", the Great Depression and World War II.

Description:
The Damron Hotel was built as the Colonial Hotel in 1906 during the heyday of Mineral Wells as a popular resort city. It burned completely on December 22, 1975. This picture shows the front entrance under a dark plume of black smoke, with flames breaking through the upper floors of the front wall. Two people (one with a hard hat, and one without)stand observing the proceedings.

Description:
The Damron Hotel, built as the Colonial Hotel in 1906 during the days that Mineral Wells was a popular resort, burned completely on December 22, 1975. Shown here is another view of the front entrance to the hotel as flames burst through the front wall of the building. The gesturing individual with the hard hat has not been identified.

Description:
Shown here is another view of the plume of thick black smoke at the height of the fire that completely destroyed the Damron Hotel December 22, 1975, along with two hard-hatted individuals (presumably fire-fighters) standing in the street. It was a very popular hotel during the mineral water industry's heyday through the "Roaring Twenties", Great Depression and World War II. By the time of the fire, however, one informant remarked--verbally--that no respectable lady permitted herself to be found within a block of the hotel. Sic transit, it would appear, gloria mundi.

Description:
Shown here is another view of the huge column of black smoke accompanying the Damron Hotel fire that completely destroyed the hotel on December 22, 1975. It was located at 109 W. Hubbard Street, and the spectacular fire that destroyed it received extensive photographic coverage. Ammunition (Presumably from the hardware store next to the hotel) explosions could be heard all downtown. Even though the explosions provided a hazard to fire fighters, no major injuries were reported.

Description:
The Damron Hotel, built in 1906 during the days that Mineral Wells was a popular resort spa, burned completely on December 22, 1975. It was located at 109 W. Hubbard Street. This picture shows the dense cloud of smoke that resulted from the holiday catastrophe. Westbound traffic on .S. Highway 180 had to be re-routed in order to avoid the clutter of debris that littered the street.

Description:
Another view of the front entrance to the Damron Hotel at 109 W. Hubbard during the earlier stages of the fire that completely destroyed it on December 22, 1975. Debris from the burning hotel wafted as far as seven blocks from the burning building. No major injuries were reported. The spectacular Holiday fire that destroyed the hotel received extensive photographic coverage.

Description:
Shown here is another picture in the series of photographs of the fire that destroyed the Damron Hotel during the holiday season of 1975. This smoke-shrouded scene of W. Hubbard, shows the front entrance to the hotel in the earlier stages of the fire's progress. The Damron was built in 1906, during the days that Mineral Wells was a popular resort spa. It burned completely on December 22,1975. The hotel's name was changed in 1917 when Mr. Holt (who had built the hotel) traded it to Agnew and Bessie Damron for a ranch. It was a very popular hotel through the "Roaring Twenties", the Great Depression and World War II.

Description:
Another in the extensive series of photographs that covered the spectacular holiday fire that completely consumed the Damron Hotel during the 1975 Christmas season. This picture shows some of the early response to the fire. Note, for example, the electrical utility truck, which has arrived to cut off electrical power to the buildings. The Damron Hotel (which was built during the days when Mineral Wells was a resort) was originally named the Colonial Hotel. It was located at 109 W. Hubbard. The spectacular fire received extensive photographic coverage. The sign "Pemberton Appliance and Plumbing", located across the street west, is visible. Pemberton's also suffered damage in the fire, but by 7:30 the next day, workmen were installing plate glass in it.

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